Chandigarh, Jan 19: Agniveer soldier Ajay Singh, killed in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, always wanted to serve the nation by joining the Army, his family said on Friday.A native of Ramgarh Sardaran village in Ludhiana’s Khanna, he is survived by his parents and six sisters. Ajay’s father Charanjit Singh used to work as a daily wage labourer while his mother did menial jobs to support the family.One of his sisters said, “My brother wanted to join the force and serve the nation. He was a pillar of support for us.”Charanjit Singh said his son was recruited as “Agniveer” in 2022.“We spoke over the phone on Wednesday evening. He asked me about my welfare. He also spoke with his mother,” he said, adding that they received the news of his death on Thursday evening.Talking to me over the phone, he asked whether I had had my dinner,” the inconsolable mother of Ajay Singh said.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday expressed grief over the death of Ajay Singh. In a statement, he said, “Agniveer Ajay Singh, who hailed from village Ramgarh Sardaran near Khanna (Ludhiana), attained martyrdom in a landmine blast”.The brave jawan laid down his life while performing his duty valiantly, Mann said, adding the Punjab government is with his family at this tragic hour.Monetary assistance will be extended to the bereaved family according to the policy of the state government, he said.The security personnel was killed and another two suffered injuries in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Thursday. The troops were patrolling the forward area in the Nowshera sector when the explosion occurred.
